Fruit-juice extractor



Jan. 15, 1929.

C. J. ULRICH FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTQR Filed Aug. 23, 1926' r mm ha I L m Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES CARL J. ULRICH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY

SUPPLY COMPANY, OF

T0 NORTHERN EQUIPMENT AND some, A CORPORATION OEMINNESOTA.

PATENT OFFICE.

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, MINNEAPOLIS, MIN N E- FBUIT-JUICE EXTRACTOR.

Application filed August 23, 1926. Serial No. 130,961.

This invention relates to a device for expressing juices from fruits, the main objects being to provide a simple cheap device, 1n which all the arts can be easily and quickly removed for c caning, and in which all spattering of the juices is positively prevented. Some of the features of the invention include the angular disposition of the juice-receiving receptacle; the detachable'mounting of the receptacle, in sealed engagement with a bearing support therefor; the shape of the cutter or squeezer element, and its relation to the receptacle to prevent leakage of the juice; to the contour of the cutter or squeezer element; to the detachable connection of the cutter element with its operating shaft; to

the positional relations of the cutter element wih the receptacle; to the contour of the rear or bottom side of the receptacle, and to the arrangement of strainer openings and juicereceiving and delivery spout with relation to the cutter element.

Another object of the invention, is to pro vide a strainer member, connected with the juice receiving receptacle in such a manner as to permit said member to be thrown, apped, or swung in one direction to a strainer position, or reversely swung to a noninterfering position outwardly beyond the periphery of the receptacle. This is another feature of the invention, and this feature includes the details of construction for mounting the strainer for the purpose set forth, as well as the broader aspect of the arrangement for permitting the strainer member to be swung to alternate positions.

Objects, certain advantages and additional features of the invention will appear in description of the drawings, forming part of this specification, and in said drawings.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section showing the device assembled for operation;

Figure 2 is a face view of the machine with the cutter or squeeze'r element removed;

Figure 3 is a face view of the cutter element for oranges;

Figure 4 is a similar View of the cutter element for grapefruit; Figure 5 is a rear view elements.

Figure 6 is a plan section in the 66 Figure 2.

The numeral 1 designates a of one of the cutter standard adapted for attachment to a table or support. 2 is the clamping screw operable across a framed-out portion 3 of the standard, which standard is suitably reinforced longitudinally as by a rib 4. The upper end of the standard is provided with a bearing 5, the axis of which makes an acute angle with the horizontalplane in a direction upwardly therefrom. This bearing extends upwardly and outwardly at the inner side of the standard, and is suitably bored as at 6 for the reception of the crank shaft 7 having a suit able operating handle 8. This shaft projects inwardly and upwardly at the inner side of the standard and has attached thereto what may be termed a clutch element v9 nonrotatably secured by a cross pin 10. The shaft projects beyond this clutch member and is adapted to engage an openingin the cutter or squeezer head, described below. The outer surface of the bearing is tapered as at 11 and the taper is convergent'toward the inner side of the standard, as when attached to a support.

Thejuice receiving receptacle in this instance has a body portion stamped from a single piece of sheet material, and provides a central interiorly arranged inwardly convergent sleeve, 12, providing a hollow conical member adapted to sealingly engage the outer surface of the bearing, to support the receptacle with its open side at an acute angle to the vertical plane, thus to cause, what may be termed the side of the receptacle to lie in the position to receive the juices separated by a cutter or squeezer member rotatably operable by the shaft, and disposed substantially entirely within the receptacle. The receptacle is in this instance made comparatively deep and the bottom or rear side 22 is convex in direction of the support, to increase the capacity. The inner end'of the sleeve 12 is adapted to overlap the clutch element 9, which projects slightly beyond the inner end of the sleeve, when the receptacle is in operative position.

That side of the receptacle which, when the receptacle is in operative position, forms a lower wall therefor, is preferably formed into a spout 13, by pressing the metal outwardly beyond the normal contour. A strainer member-14 is provided, which has a link-connection with the periphery of the receptacle, and

'ing element.

is thus swingingly' connected and adapted to lie within the receptacle and bridge the pressed out spout portion, to strain the juice as it drops from thesqueezer element, before it reaches the spout. The curvature of the strainer member may conform to that of 'the side of the receptacle, so that when the strainer is in operative position within the receptacle, the juice will be directed inwardly toward the spout. When it is desired to temporarily remove the strainer, the same may be swung outwardly, to be held at an angle with the receptacle, so that it will not interfere with the pouring of the liquid. Thus a means is provided whereby when squeezing seedless fruit, the strainer may be simply swung where it is held in a non-interfering angular relation to the receptacle and spout. To provide this-connection, so that the strainer can be rotated outwardly or inwardly around the rim of the receptacle, there are provided, in this instance, a pair of rings or links 15, preferably circular. Peripherally spaced openings in the receptacle and strainer element are shown at 16, 17. Through corresponding openings, the rings are engaged. With this construction, due to the curvature of the strainer element, the curved periphery of said element, when swung to its outer position, will automatically engage the periphery of the receptacle to hold the element 14, in a predetermined angular relation to the rim, non-interferingly in respect to the spout.

The squeezer elements are in the form; of substantially hollow spherical or conical bodies, and two of theseelements are ordinarily provided, one for example for oranges and the other for grapefruit, the former being necessarily of smaller size than the latter. ,The construction of both of these elements is substantially the same, with the exception that in the larger element extra blades or fins are provided. Each element has an 7 attaching extension 18 extending from the concave side, and having a central bore 19, and in this instance a diametric notch .or groove 20 engageable with the corresponding cross element 21 of the clutch 9, whereby the element is detachably clutched to the shaft for rotation therewith.

The tapered extension bearing is adapted for telescopic engagement with the hollow conical sleeve of the receptacle, and when in operative position the shaft projects into the bore of the squeezer element. It will be noted that when the element is attached, the same is so disposed as to prevent the entrance of juice between the tubular casing and the bearor into the bearing bore, it is impossible for juice to escape in that direction.

Each cutter element is provided with a plurality of presser fins 25, or blades which extend in a direction parallel with theaxisto a non-straining positlon,"

so that of the hollow conical member, and outwardly from its concaveside'. The outer periphery of these fins is curved. The cutter or rallrer blades 25 are non-tangentially arranged and the blades are substantially tangent to an imaginary circle a drawn adjacent to the apex of the member, with the apex as a cen ter, this for the purpose of providing a space which corresponds to the core or axis of the fruit, to allow the inner ends of the fins to travel around the axis of the fruit, and to be spaced outwardly therefrom to prevent such tearing of the fruit as would entirely separate the connective fibers from the rind.

There is advantage in mounting the receptacle in the angular relation shown, one of the advantages being that the juice is all directed inward1y,so that no spattering outside the receptacle takes place, and the operator can, during the squeezing operation, position himself at a point rearwardly of the open side of the receptacle. This position however, does not interfere with the application of the proper pressure of the fruit against the rotatable squeezing apparatus. Moreover the squeezer element is held in position by gravity, and therefore can be instantly removed.

An essential feature in the construction of the squeezers or reamers is that, the'inner margin of each blade engages the radial membranes of the fruit before the body of the blade engages, thus causing these membranes to be torn from their center support, after which the blades squeeze the membranes an the pulp against the surface of the rind. This obtains an easier, thorough extraction of the juices.

To briefly recapitulate, features of the in vention are:

The acute angular relation of the open side receptacle'relative to the vertical plane; the telescopic engagement of the receptacle with the tapered hub for obtaining quick removal of receptacles; the sustaining of the cutter or reamer by gravity; the provision of an open space or -depression axially of and at the outer end of the reamer; the hollow configuration of. the reamer and nonradial arrangement of its blades; the manner of connecting the reamer with its operating shaft, as well as its arrangement over the operating shaft, to prevent the entrance of juice into the shaft bearing, and to prevent spattering; and the arrangement of a strainer element, to be swingingly adjusted to points within and outside of the receptacle.

The tangent relation of the blades, disposes of their forward ends for engagement with the radial membranes of the fruit, adjacent the axis, but spaced outwardly therefrom, to cut .the membrane at those points so that the membranes are not pulled away from the rind, as the rotation of the squeezer element continues. Thus, the memspeedier and more edge 27 of the element 14, when is in straining branes after being out, are simply pushed outwardly toward the rind, in position to be compressed as the squeezing action continues. lVith the old forms of reamers having radially related fins, the pulp is torn from the rind and interferes with the proper expressing of the juice. The reamer herein claimed is particularly adapted for hard fruit.

By reference to Figure 1, itwill be noted that the upper side ofthe sleeve 12 slants downwardly and rearwardly or inwardly so that juice dropping from the upper portion of the inner periphery of the reamer, will fall thereon and flow backwardly, instead of flowing into the hearing. The dot and dash line 6 generally indicates the path of the liquid. It will be noted that for this purpose the periphery overhangs the sleeve.

It will be noted that the portion 25 of the receptacle is cylindrical while the rear or bottom 22 is somewhat spherical or bul ing. It will be further noted that there is an annular shoulder 26 formed at point of emergence between the bulging bottom portion and the cylindrical rear or side portion 25. It will be further noted that the inner this element position cooperates with the shoulder to cause the upper surface of the strainer to lie flush with, or slightly below, the inner surface of the receptacle. Therefore, the depth of the shoulder is substantially equal to or greater than the thickness of the strainer. If the element 26 were not provided, the edge 27 of the element 14 would tend to obstruct the flow of the liquid on to the strainer element.

The strainer element 14 is provided with an upturned flange 28, the purpose of which is to prevent the outward travel of seeds or pulp as may be deposited upon the strainer member. Moreover, as shown in Figure 6, this element 28 is notched as at 29 and this notched portion cooperates as at 30 with the rim to hold the element in the outstanding position shown.

I claim as my invention:

1. A squeezer element of hollow conic formation having an attaching extension centrally on its concave side, and having a series of blades on its convex side, said blades lying tangent to an imaginary'circle drawn upon the surface and said blades extending substantially in a direction axially of the memher, and a second series of fins or blades intermediate the first-mentioned blades and lying adjacent the base of the conical memher on its convex side, the last-mentioned blades lying intermediate the first-mentioned blades and being of less length than said blades.

2. A-receptacle havinga strainer member swingingly connected with a periphery thereof, and adapted in one position to lie within the receptacle to bridge a portion thereof as a chord, and in another position adapted to lie in angular relation to the receptacle outside thereof. 3. In combination with a receptacle having an open side, a strainer member having .to be poured from the receptacle without straining.

4. A device of the class described having a receptacle with its open side arranged substantially in a vertical plane and having a rim portion bent to provide a downwardly slanting delivery spout, a squeezer element rotatable within the receptacle, the arrangement being such that the liquid is delivered only downwardly in a direction generally to wards the spout.

e. A device of the class described having a receptacle with its open side arranged substantially in a vertical plane and havin a rim portion bent to provide a downwar ly directed delivery spout; a s ueezer element rotatable within the receptac e, substantially on a horizontal axis, the arrangement being such that the liquid is delivered only over the spout portion of said receptacle.

6. In combination with a receptacle having an open side and arranged with its open side substantially in a vertical plane, a strainer member, arranged horizontally within the receptacle as a chord bridging a portion thereof, and having a link connection with the receptacle such as to permit the strainer member to swing to and to be held in a nonstrainer angular relation to permit juice to be delivered from the receptacle without straining.

7. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having therewithin a circumferential shoulder facing outwardly, and a strainer member arranged to bridge one portion of the receptacle and when so arranged having one edge arranged ad acent the shoulder, the depth of the shoulder being equal to or greater ban the thickness of the strainer.

8. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having two portions of different shapes and providing at polnt of emergence a circumferential shoulder, facing outwardly, and a strainer member arranged vto bridge one portion of the receptacle and when so arranged having one edge opposed to and adjacent the shoulder, and extending in the same direction, the depth of the shoulder being equal to or greater than the thickness of the strainer.

9. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having two portions of different shapes and providing at point of emergence a shoulder, and a strainer member arranged to bridge one portion of the recepta:

ing an open side and arranged with its open side substantially in a vertical plane, a strainer member, arranged horizontally within the receptacle as a chord overlying a portion thereof and having an upturned flange to prevent delivery of pulp or seeds over its outer periphery, and link connections attaching the strainer member to allow it to be swung outwardly. 1

11. A receptacle having a strainer member swingingly connected by links with the periphery thereof and adapted in one position to lie within the receptacle to bridge a strainer member in an outstanding position when the'same is swung from straining position.

12. In comblnation with a receptacle having an open side and arranged with its open side substantially in a vertical plane, a strainer member, arranged horizontally within the receptacle as a chord overlying a portion thereof and having a link connection with the receptacle periphery to permit swinging, and said strainer'having an upturned flange at its outer periphery.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of August, 1926.

CARL J. ULRICH. 

